Why Charlotte’s Sharigato will be the sushi experience you didn’t know you needed
Sharigato, a 24-seat restaurant focusing on sushi hand rolls, is slated to open this fall at the Joinery development in the Optimist Park neighborhood of Charlotte.
Lunch and dinner diners can expect an experience-focused and intimate setting at Sharigato, where the hand rolls will come out to you as they’re made, owner Shari Lynne Robins told CharlotteFive.
“If you order a three-roll set, you get one roll at a time. So, you can eat it at its peak of perfection, when the nori is still crispy and the rice is still warm and vinegary — and it’s the highest quality seafood. And it all just kind of comes together in this amazing melt-in-your-mouth experience,” Robins said.
Expect a streamlined menu with premium fish: toro, Faroe Island salmon, yellowtail, scallops and lobster.
There will also be a selection of vegetarian rolls and an “eclectic selection” of snacks, such as edamame with togarashi, blistered shishito peppers with furikake ranch on top and ube tempura.
The longtime restaurant and food industry professional is modeling her Brevard Street eatery after a California-based restaurant with locations in New York that she continued to crave long after her move to Charlotte: KazuNori.
“I miss it. I want to have it here, so I’m building it for myself to share with everybody,” Robins said.
Sharigato isn’t just named after her, either — the rice used to make hand rolls is also known as “shari rice,” leading to an obvious match.
Her restaurant experience includes working in New York with celebrity chef Jonathan Waxman of “Top Chef” fame and renowned chef Larry Forgione, whose son, Mark Forgione, you may know as a former “Iron Chef” on Food Network. Robins also worked in several California restaurants — and started one of her own there, too.
After nearly a decade working a culinary innovator in Charlotte on products for companies including Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods, she’s spinning a layoff into returning to her roots while bringing something new to the city. She’s also got plans to expand Sharigato once it’s off the ground.
When you dine in, the focus will be on “getting it while it’s just excellent and perfect,” amid an atmosphere where “architecture meets food.” The design concept evoking an art gallery space is coming to life with the help of Perry Poole Architects.
But takeout and delivery will look a little bit different, with long, thin maki rolls cut into slices, made with the help of the restaurant’s sushi robot, Shariboto.
“You know, it’s that kind of place that will be fast and easy,” she said.
Single-serve sodas such as Mexican Coke and craft sake will be among the drink offerings, along with local beer. Cocktails on tap will likely include a margarita and a martini, plus a seasonal selection.
Sharigato
Location: Joinery, 420 E 22nd Street, Charlotte, NC 28206
Cuisine: Asian, sushi hand rolls
Instagram: @sharigato_clt
This story was originally published March 27, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
